Stop and Search on Trial

We said at the start of our appeal that complaint rates for stop and search were low - now you can see just how low by viewing this infographic

In the past year, the police have recorded carrying out a total of 91,040 stops across the 6 boroughs we work in (Newham, Hackney, Barking & Dagenham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.) This breaks down to 42,567 stop and searches (excluding Section 60 stops), 155 Section 60 stops and 48,318 stop and accounts.

So how many complaints have been made about those 91,040 stops in the past year? 68.

That's right, 68 in total, equating to a complaint rate of 0.006% compared to stops conducted.

Does this mean just 68 people were unhappy with the way they were stopped? We don't think so because it doesn't reflect what we hear and see on the ground; in fact, we think what this figure actually reveals is just how little confidence people hold in the police complaints system. We're not the only ones to think this - an investigation into stop and search by the Police and Crime Committee and London Assembly in 2014 reported:

“The IPCC notes that “people who are unhappy with stop and search encounters – in particular, young people and those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds – have the least confidence both in the police and the police complaints system.” This reflects public concerns that making a complaint can lead to harassment and is perhaps no surprise given that the majority of race complaints are not handled well by the Met. All this means that complaints cannot be relied on as an accurate measure of public attitudes, nor can a lack of complaints be seen as an indication of good practice.”

It's crucial that people who are unhappy with how they have been treated by the police are able to make complaints and hold the police to account. If our project is successful in reaching its target that's exactly what we'll be doing - supporting people to make complaints rather than just putting up with poor treatment. Help us reach our target by sharing information on our campaign on your social networks - by spreading the word, you can help us put Stop on Search on Trial.